Women's Tennis 3/22/2019 9:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Bronchos Visit Kearney, Hays In MIAA Play

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – The University of Central Oklahoma tennis team returns to the court for Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play this weekend, taking on a pair of league opponents on the road.

UCO will play Nebraska-Kearney in Grand Island, Neb. Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Grand Island Tennis Center before visiting Hays, Kan. to take on Fort Hays State Sunday afternoon.

The Bronchos are 6-2 this season and have won five straight. Central is also 1-0 in the MIAA. UNK is 11-8 overall, 6-8 this spring, and has won three straight matches. The Lopers are 0-2 in MIAA duals. FHSU is 3-4 overall, 0-2 in the spring, and both of those spring losses are MIAA setbacks as well.

"You don't get any easy matches in the MIAA," UCO head tennis coach Jaron Maestas said. "Especially on the road. You have to show up to every match and work hard for every point if you want to get a win."

UCO is led by a strong doubles team that has an 18-7 dual record. The Bronchos have won the doubles point – winning two of three doubles matches – in each of the team's six wins this season. UCO has gone unbeaten in doubles play four matches.

Adel-Byanu Abidullina, who was named the MIAA Player of the Week last week, has a 6-2 record in doubles play this season. She is 5-2 when teamed with Kirtana Bhat and 1-0 when teamed with Nikki Boyar.

Bhat is 5-2 in doubles play overall this season and Boyar is 6-2. Boyar also has a 5-2 record with Sarah Van Eeckhoudt, who is 6-2 overall.

Paola Landin and Isabella Dunlap have teamed up for a 5-3 doubles record as well.

Abidullina has a 6-2 singles record to go with that same mark in doubles play. The freshman from Moscow has won three straight in singles play. Boyar, also a freshman, also has six wins in singles play this spring. She is 6-3 overall and won five straight from Feb. 22 to March 15.

Landin has the team-high for singles wins with eight this spring. She lost last week in what is her only defeat this season in singles play. She is 8-1.

Central Oklahoma will play one more road contest – a non-conference matchup at Oklahoma Baptist next Wednesday – before returning to Broncho Courts next weekend to take on Missouri Western (March 30) and Northwest Missouri (March 31) in MIAA play.

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Players Mentioned

Kirtana Bhat: 5' 7"; Senior

Paola Landin: 5' 0"; Sophomore

Sarah Van Eeckhoudt: 6' 0"; Junior

Isabella Dunlap: 5' 2"; Freshman

Adel-Byanu Abidullina: 5' 10"; Freshman

Nikki Boyar: 5' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kirtana Bhat
: 5' 7"; Senior

Paola Landin
: 5' 0"; Sophomore

Sarah Van Eeckhoudt
: 6' 0"; Junior

Isabella Dunlap
: 5' 2"; Freshman

Adel-Byanu Abidullina
: 5' 10"; Freshman

Nikki Boyar
: 5' 2"; Freshman